How to Throw a Luau-Themed Couples Shower

Present each guest with a lei to wear and take home afterward.

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You have decided on a tropical luau theme for the couple's wedding or baby shower, to take advantage of the summer sun or bring a little bit of tropical warmth and cheer to the cold winter months. Now it is time to elaborate on the theme and incorporate it into every aspect of the event, from the invitations to the party favors, to create a celebration that every guest will remember with fondness.

Related Searches:Difficulty:EasyInstructions Things You'll NeedSilk flowersStringCard stockFlip-flops (optional)TableclothsRaffia skirtElectric tiki torch lightsTropical, medium-size plush animals (i.e. tropical fish)Diaper cakeBright colored ribbonTropical fish toysSilk hibiscus flowersSmall clotheslineBaby-size Bermuda shorts and tropical shirtsServing traysCoconutPineappleBananasMangosFloral leisVirgin pina coladasSalmon, shrimp or chicken breastTropical marinadeBarbecueMacadamia nut cookiesPineapple upside down cakeKona coffeeSugar cookie mixFish-shaped cookie cuttersRoyal icingTropical scented lotions, gels or candles (optional)Small baskets (optional)Suggest Edits1

Announce the theme of the shower to the guests with tropical, luau-themed shower invitations, and make the invitations yourself for a personal touch. In place of a traditional card and envelope, make some Hawaiian leis at home from silk flowers that coordinate with the shower's color scheme. To symbolize that this is a couple's shower, make two leis. Before tying the second lei, slide one end through the first lei to make interconnected leis. Attach a small piece of card stock to each lei that includes the shower information. Alternatively, present each invitee with an embellished pair of flip flops with the party details written across the soles. To highlight that both men and women are welcome, use one women's style flip-flop and one men's style and spread the details out between the two shoes.

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Top each table at the party venue with a tablecloth that coordinates with the shower's color scheme and then make raffia skirts to wrap around each table's edge. Hang electric tiki torch lights around the party room or along the fence at an outdoor celebration. Use male and female pairs of medium-size plush animals with a tropical theme for the party tables' centerpieces. Make a Hawaiian-themed diaper cake for a baby shower or towel cake for a wedding shower, embellished with brightly colored ribbons, tropical fish toys and silk hibiscus flowers. Hang a small clothesline across the venue for a baby shower and decorate it with Hawaiian-themed baby clothing, such as Bermuda shorts and tropical shirts.

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Lay out a variety of trays with tasty tropical fruits, such as coconut, pineapple, bananas and mangoes. To expand on the couple's theme, connect every two pieces of fruit together with a toothpick. Wrap a pair of interconnected floral leis around each tray to incorporate the party decorations into the food as well. Serve alcohol-free tropical fruit drinks and smoothies, such as virgin piña coladas, and prepare salmon, shrimp or chicken on the barbecue in tropical marinades. Prepare a batch of macadamia nut cookies and a pineapple upside-down cake for dessert and serve the treats alongside some Kona coffee.

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Send your guests home with unique shower favors that they will cherish or enjoy long after the celebration ends. For an edible party favor, make a simple batch of sugar cookies cut into tropical fish shapes and skewered with wooden dowels to look like lollipop cookies. Cover the baked cookies with colorful royal icing. Tie two cookies together to signify the couple's theme and to make an edible, tropical bouquet. For a non-edible alternative, consider tropical-scented lotions, gels or candles tucked into tiny raffia-filled baskets. Make sure some of the scents are masculine for the men at the shower.

ReferencesPlan the Perfect Baby Shower: How to Plan a Hawaiian Baby Shower Luau PartyPlan the Perfect Baby Shower: Hawaiian Baby Diaper CakePhoto Credit Thinkstock/Comstock/Getty ImagesRead Next:

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